Author Archives: Jon Waldron

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About Jon Waldron

Running and Racing have been important parts of my life for as long as I can remember. I ran Track and Cross Country at Amherst HS, back in the day, and am proud to have been training and competing with the Cambridge Sports Union (CSU) for more than thirty years. If my bones hold out, I hope to continue for another thirty. Sixteen years ago, I began coaching, first as an Asst. Coach at Newton North HS in Newton, MA, and for the past ten years, as Head Track and Cross Country Coach at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts. I've been writing about running for almost as long as I've been running, dating back to high school, when I would write meet summaries for the Amherst Record for about $0.33 per column inch. I've been blogging about running since 2005, and began blogging at "the runner eclectic" in 2014. Until recently I also had a day job, working full-time as a Technical Product Manager for Nuance Communications, based in Burlington, MA. But I am now on what might turn out to be a permanent sabbatical. Thank you for reading my blog, and please consider leaving a comment.

Some Like It Hot

Over the last couple of days, Boston welcomed its first really hot and humid weather of the summer. After a near-perfect weekend, temperatures rose into the nineties on Monday and Tuesday, prompting evasive maneuvers from much of the populace — … Continue reading

Posted in Weather and Seasons | Leave a comment

No Pain, No Gain

It’s always a bit odd when a study confirms what everyone already knew, or thought they knew. Writing in the NY Times Fitness Blog last week, Gretchen Reynolds reports on recent research into the role of catecholamines (“stress” hormones associated … Continue reading

Posted in Training | Leave a comment

Winning, Losing, Going Through

I’d like to take a short hiatus from the world of running to talk a little World Cup Futbol. As everyone knows, the U.S. team lost to Germany on Thursday afternoon and finished with 4 points in their group. But … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What I’d Do With the Corporate Challenge

I’m writing this on Tuesday night, and it’s late enough to expect that the thousands of runners who descended on Boston Common earlier in the evening for the annual JP Morgan Corporate Challenge have by now dispersed. Throngs of work … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

In Praise of Tracks

On the campus of Virginia Tech, the football stadium dominates the landscape. From Southgate Drive, which winds its way through the Athletic complex, a visitor gazes up at the massive structure — the multi-story edifice, the stands that rise steeply … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

You Go, Girls!

Last Sunday Alexa Efraimson, a 17-year-old high school junior year from Camas, Washington, ran 1500m in 4:07.05 at the Adidas Grand Prix meet, finishing 10th in a field of professional runners that included the last two world champions among other … Continue reading

Posted in High School Runners | Leave a comment

From the Archives: Avoiding the Competition

[Originally published June 24, 2007] I’m convinced that no corner of the world has as many road races as New England. On any weekend of the year — even in the dead of winter — an intrepid runner can find … Continue reading

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Tactics

Late last week people around the globe were tuning in to watch the opening matches of the World Cup. I would have done so, too, except that I couldn’t tear myself away from ESPNU, which was covering the The NCAA … Continue reading

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Anatomy of an Injury (Part 3 of 3: More Stable Levers)

When I first started writing about this injury, I had an analogy in mind and wanted to explore it further. What if an aging body is like an aging city, its infrastructure gradually deteriorating with age and overuse? The deterioration might … Continue reading

Posted in Injuries & Health | 4 Comments

Anatomy of an Injury (Part 2 of 3: Who Ya Gonna Call?)

With the end of the school track season, I felt I finally had time to address and resolve the now-chronic pain in my right lower leg. For the first time in months, I had enough time to warm up properly … Continue reading

Posted in Injuries & Health | Leave a comment